Bode George to Atiku: Presidency won’t return to north in 2027… wait till 2031

Bode George, ex-deputy national chairman (south) of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), has asked former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar to consider retiring from active politics.

In a statement issued on Wednesday, George said Abubakar should wait till 2031 if he is still keen on becoming Nigeria’s president.

The PDP chieftain said the party’s presidential ticket should not be zoned to the north in 2027, when the next general election will be held.

“I have nothing personal against Alhaji Abubakar. He is my friend, but the truth must be told. By 2027, by God’s Grace, I will also be in my 80s,” George said.

“So, what am I looking for in public office as an octogenarian? The same principle should apply to Alhaji Abubakar.

“We all saw what American President Joe Biden did recently when he stepped down for Kamala Harris to contest the November presidential election.

“That is the hallmark of a statesman. Alhaji Abubakar should do the same so that in 2027, the PDP will field a Southerner as the presidential candidate.

“Aside from that, General Buhari, a Northerner from Katsina state, just left office after eight years.

“Alhaji Abubakar is also a Northerner from Adamawa State. So, power cannot go to the North in 2027. That is the reality of our country and our party’s Constitution.

“Section 7, Sub-section 3 (C) says zoning and rotation must be maintained for justice, fairness, and equity. In our party, this is the right and logical thing to do in the present political circumstances.

“But if Alhaji Abubakar is desperate to contest again, I will advise him as a friend, a party man, and a brother to wait till 2031. By then, he will be 85 years old.

“As loyal party members, we must continue to respect the PDP Constitution. Fair is fair. I joined the PDP in 1998, and I have remained in this party since.

“We should not do anything that will destroy our party and the country. In 2027, the concept of ‘Turn-by-Turn Nigeria Limited’ must be strictly followed by our party.

“PDP must look for a Southerner to wrest power from the APC because that party of strange bedfellows wants to destroy this country, economically and politically.

“So, Nigerians are waiting for us to rescue them in 2027, but a Southerner must lead the battle.

“I expect every member of the party to embrace and respect the entrenched principles of zoning and rotation bestowed on the party by our founding fathers since its inception in 1998, no matter whose ox is gored.

“The principles explicitly stipulate that, at the end of every eight years, all elective and party offices should change from the Northern divide to the Southern divide, and vice versa. That is the position which I will continue to champion till thy kingdom come.”

In May, Abubakar, who was PDP standard-bearer in the 2023 elections, said he would “keep contesting” for the Nigerian presidency as long as he is hale and hearty.

The politician will be 81 by the time the next presidential election comes around in 2027. In 2031, he will be 85.

Abubakar has run for the number one office six times but has been on the ballot as a presidential candidate on three occasions—2007, 2019, and 2023.